Each lunar new year in Vietnam is themed with an animal, one of the 12 Vietnamese zodiac animals. Why is this and how does the Vietnamese zodiac system work? Why your birth year is important…
Most rooms in the house have ‘room’ (phòng) as part of their name. Phòng ngủ (bedroom), phòng khách (living room), phòng ăn (dining room) but bathroom and kitchen are a notable exception: they use nhà…
Have you ever wondered what to call your Vietnamese friend? Which name to use? Or why there are so many Nguyễns? Read on to find the answers to all these questions and more in this…
ơi is one of my favourite Vietnamese words. Why do Vietnamese people say ơi? Let’s look at the most common uses of the Vietnamese word ơi. 1. Em ơi (Or anh ơi or chị ơi.)…
For 67 years, Vietnam was part of French Indochina. You can still see pockets of French influence from grand old buildings in the cities to the presence of Catholicism, right down to the fluffy baguettes…
The streets in every town and city in Vietnam all seem to have the same names: Hùng Vương, Lẽ Duẩn, Lý Tự Trọng, Nguyễn Trãi, Nguyễn Huệ, Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai… The reason being that their names are taken from…
As Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language with different sounds and without consonant clusters, brand names and other foreign words can be pronounced very differently. Words like passport and visa should generally be understood if you…
In Vietnam, it’s common to be asked your age. Though Westerners may be shocked by this at first, it is an important question to choose the correct way to address someone for example – chị…
If you’re visiting a Vietnamese person’s house, when you leave you must tell you host this. Even if it’s obvious, it’s necessary to actually say “I’m leaving” – especially to those older than you. Usually…
Whether attending a wedding or eating snails, the Vietnamese are fond of drinking beer. Let’s look at how to say cheers in Vietnamese, and some other vocabulary that might come in handy if you find…